What does a cold-inflicted person need? Lots of vitamin C, for sure. Lemons are overrated in this regard (51 mg per 100 g), while cabbage in general and brussels sprouts in particular are secret vitamin bombs (112 mg per 100g).
And what does a runner need? Lots of carbs, so we take Basmati rice, for side-dish. A long-grain rice, Basmati has a reasonably low glycemic index and renders you less bonk-prone on your long runs than a «high-glyx» food like spaghetti. Sure, brown rice would be even more healthy, but I just love the aromatic scent of a good Basmati. Recently, red beets have come to be regarded as some sort of magic potion, reducing the energy costs of running. What is more, beets actually have a unique taste, both fresh and savory, and they go well with sprouts. Beets often come pre-cooked or pickled sour, and that's why many people don't like them. Use fresh, untreated beets instead for the genuine taste and crunch.
Now add orange carrots, and you get a nice mix of colors. Our traffic-light dish is all vegan, a seasonal winter recipe, and the ingredients can be obtained locally. (Ok, minus the rice).
This meal has two components. One is «harvard beets», which I take from the highly recommended «color me vegan». I reproduce the basic recipe from memory. You can find more variations (and lots of other great recipes) in the original book. The second component is the brussels sprouts casserole. It's a result of improvisation that I found good enough to share. I call the combination «vampire's delight», because aerobic capacity is all about red blood cells, and because – well, just look at the picture below.
Harvard Beets Ingredients (eight servings):
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- Quarter and steam, then remove the skins of the beets once they are cool enough and dice them coarsely. Try after ten minutes, before they become too soft.
- While the beets are cooking, whisk together over medium heat orange juice, sugar, starch, and vinegar. Make sure that the starch dissolves completely. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, whisking constantly. Once it has thickened a bit, remove from heat and stir in (non-dairy) butter.
- When beets are cooked, peeled, and diced further, stir them into the sauce. Return the pot to heat to serve warm, or serve at room temperature. I liked them lukewarm together with the rest of the meal. Either way, add salt to taste. You can serve them with freshly minced parsley for a nice contrast between the red and green. However, I only had deep-frozen parsley at hand.
Ingredients:
- 750g brussels sprouts
- Four medium-sized carrots
- A large glass of white wine (I had leftover Rioja, but if I could choose, I would take Chardonnay)
- 200ml vegetable broth
- Three to four cloves of garlic
- Two tablespoons chopped parsley
- One tablespoon either thyme or majoram (I used the latter)
- One tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Three tablespoons pine nuts or chopped almonds
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- For the side: Ca 200g basmati rice and salt to taste
- Pre-heat the oven to 200°C.
- Wash the sprouts, discarding the outer leaves. Cut a small «cross» in the stem of each bud. Wash or peel the carrots and cut them in half vertically. Cut the halves in 3cm long pieces. I like a diagonal cut for the smaller pieces.
- Roast the pine nuts or almonds in a dry pan. Careful: they go from golden brown to burnt in a few seconds. Mix vegetables and nuts in a casserole.
- Blend the wine, garlic, thyme (or majoram) and lemon juice in a food processor or blender. Add as much of the broth so that you have enough liquid to cover the vegetables in the casserole. (They are not supposed to not «swim», but every bud should have «wet feet».) Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the liquid to the casserole with the vegetables and stir a little bit.
- Put the casserole in the oven for 15 minutes. Then try one of the buds. They should neither be crunchy nor soft, but rather fall apart like puff pastry. Cook some more for a few minutes, as the case may be. During the last minutes you may want to turn on the grill to add a little roasting.
Serve with fresh parsley on top, rice and beets.